Cialis be damned—it’s the cycling that does the trick!
[via Copenhagenize.com, twitterer]

Edinburgh ‘Veledrome’

I suppose it’s not everyone’s idea of pretty, but Mike Bascombe’s photos of the Edinburgh ‘Veledrome’ capture a certain charm. Furthermore

It is one of only a few outdoor velodromes left in the UK and contains within its teak boards, blackened by tire rubber over decades, a history that can never be relocated or replaced. It is however due to be demolished…I want it to survive because of it’s beauty and by showing this to others is how I hope to help.

L-E-L

Speaking of Edinburgh, did you know that the 1400km London-Edinburgh-London ride is currently in progress? That’s a south-to-north journey across England—then turn around and go right back.

Be aware

Be aware of lorries—the most informative instructional video I’ve seen for many a long day. Cyclists and heavy vehicles.

Grocery getters

• “This is one serious DIY folding grocery getter” and a winner in the Grocey Getter Contest. Want! [twitterer]

• The Bullitt cargo bikes, reviewed at road.cc. Awww, now I want one of them!

DIY

• Mini bike light. Switch zip-tied to handlebar—mmm, agricultural.

• Does this count as “pimped”? wonders eccles. Ah, shopping trolleys—does every bike hacker eventually hack one?

• Bike “CCTV” concept [twitterer]

Social media cops

Boston Police Using Twitter and Facebook to Track Down Bike Thieves:

Leveraging Twitter and Facebook, on top of traditional channels, is a great to way to get the community involved and active in city crime-fighting efforts. The immediate nature of status updates, and their mobile distribution, means that more and more people can have instant access to the bike theft reports, increasing the likelihood that more lost bikes will be recovered.

[twitterer]

Meanwhile, VictoriaPolice is using Twitter, most recently tweeting its Operation Ardent traffic blitz.

More than 900 penalties have been issued after a huge road and Twitter blitz by police in the city’s southeast.

Nutters-R-Us (1)

Cyclist shot in argument over child’s safety—well pulling out a gun and shootin’ the guy sure settles it. Numbskull. [via Wend]

Nutters-R-Us (2)

Prolly implies the question, is this justice?

i saw this bike messenger and an old asian guy getting into a fight because they ran into each other at the intersection. the old guy just wouldn’t leave the bike dude alone, so the bike dude totally let him have it, POW! KRYPTONITE LOCK TO THE FACE LIKE 3 OR 4 TIMES!

Of course it’s not justice. It is assault—the sickening action of some sad arsehole with a massive chip on his shoulder. Just because the pedestrian wanted to argue the toss is no justification to smack him around the head with a U-lock. The simplest solution is also the most obvious: jump on your bike a ride away.

Naturally, the best commentary on the video belongs to Bike Snob NYC.

U-lock fail

And while that video demonstrates how effective a U-lock can be as a weapon, here’s another that demonstates how ineffective they can be at locking-up stuff:

The full story is at Melbourne Cyclist. Bottom line: don’t skimp on bike security and mix-up the type of locks that you use. (You do use two locks, don’t you?)

Car as lifestyle

What message does this ad for the Audi Q5 send? Driving this car is as much fun as cycling? As one of the commenters says “Cars are most effectively marketed as lifestyle”—so the advertisers co-opt the cyclist lifestyle. [twitterer]

I wonder if it’s no coincidence that bicycles seem to feature in Q5 ads? And I just love the old advertising cliché showing the Q5 car easily breezing through traffic, something that never happens in real life—unless you’re riding a bike.

Jens, respect

As the RBR Newsletter points out, this ESPN article could so easily have been an obituary to Jens Voigt.

Tour de Junk

Just like the folks at RBR, I too have wondered what happens to all the junk that pro cyclists chuck away as they ride. Apparently, not much:

“I heard that some sort of clean-up squad follows the Tour, but I’ve never seen even pictures of it and it’s hard to think it does any more than superficial cleaning of specific areas. The rest, I’m afraid, is left where it is. It costs communes a lot to clean up in popular areas, not just from riders but far more, of course, from the spectators.

“Professionals are there to inspire the rest of us. Sadly, some far lesser riders are inspired to copy their worse habits.

“We have one local guy — just one — who so much believes he has a mountain to ride at 20 kmh that he throws the slightest litter onto the road.

Not really news

It’s not really news that fixies are becoming popular, is it? Surely by the time the mainstream media gets hold of something it’s passé? [twitterer]

Charge!

Kenyans invent bike phone charger

Jumping on a bike, Mr Katana explained it takes an hour of pedalling to fully charge a phone, about the same time it would if it were plugged into the mains electricity.

Our reporter says after a short ride, the phone’s battery display indicated that it was charging.

[twitterer]

Kidsbike

Kidsbike “developed by BMW which appears to be trustworthy kids’ bikes producer”.

Oops

Asda forced to pull ‘dangerous’ advert for flat-pack bicycle after viewers notice that one part was back-to-front:

The front fork of the £70 flat-pack men’s mountain bike in the advert was facing the wrong way – which would mean it would not steer or brake properly, experts warn.

Oops, that’s not safe. [twitterer]

Deptartment of Funny Signs

• Common Sense Unleashed

• Kill a pony

• Does this look like a bike rack?

Buff it up

Check out Durx in the buff

Well, duh

Physically active children fall asleep faster:

Daytime physical activity is associated with faster sleep latency in children, and the more inactive children are, the harder it is for them to fall asleep at the end of the day, according to a study published online July 24 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Surprise, surprise—active kids also sleep longer.

Obesity: ecology, economy and swine flu

Forum for the Future reckons that:

Staying slim is as important for the planet’s health as for our own, a new report reveals. Countries with normal rates of obesity (3.5%) consume almost 20% less food and produce up to one gigatonne fewer greenhouse gases than a population with a 40% obesity rate, concluded the article published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE).

[twitterer]

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that

The cost of treating obesity doubled over a decade, signaling the rising prevalence of excess weight and the toll it is taking on the health-care system.

Furthermore, Reuters noted that

People who are obese but otherwise healthy may be at special risk of severe complications and death from the new H1N1 swine flu virus, U.S. researchers reported on Friday.

Guardian goes bike crazy

• Potted history of bike design

• No lycra please, we’re British

• Velib reviewed

Bloggage

• vélo-flâneur [twitterer]

• A Girls’ Cycling Compendium

Active commuters do it better

Want to get fit? Walk or bike to work:

In what may be the first large U.S. study of health and commuting, the researchers found only about 17 percent of workers walked or bicycled any portion of their commute.

Those active commuters did better on treadmill tests of fitness, even when researchers accounted for their leisure-time physical activity levels, suggesting commuter choices do make a difference.

Works for me! [twitterer]

Motorbike lane

The motorbikes-in-bike-lanes bad penny has turned up again…

• MRAVic Media Release: “Let Vulnerable Road Users Share Lanes”.

• General grumblings on the topic: Bicycle Victoria Forums.

• Good decision: “Government rejects plan for shared motorbike-bike lanes”.

• Nothing new under the sun: It was a bad idea in 2006, and it’s still a bad idea.

Can we just leave it alone now or will I have to repeat this post in 2012?

Promoting bikes

The National Trust in the UK promotes 10 great two-wheeled adventures:

What better way to arrive at some of our fascinating houses or gardens, and fantastic coast or countryside, than by pedal power, just in time for a tea-room treat or picnic lunch?

Demoting bikes

What’s a kid got to do to be allowed to cycle to school?

It is unbelievable that a school would actively discourage children from taking regular exercise when obesity is such a problem. Research shows schoolchildren who cycle are healthier and happier than those who don’t – it makes sense for schools to promote cycling, not ban it.

Now get back in the car, butterball.

Being “the bigger man”

Spare Yourself from Road Raging Bike Haters: How to Avoid Anti-Cyclism

Motor city Bike city

Toby Barlow writes in the New York Times that “Motor City” Detroit could become “Bike City”:

While bike enthusiasts in most urban areas continue to have to fight for their place on the streets, Detroit has the potential to become a new bicycle utopia. It’s a town just waiting to be taken. With well less than half its peak population, and free of anything resembling a hill, the city and its miles and miles of streets lie open and empty, beckoning. And lately, whether it’s because of the economy or the price of gas or just because it’s a nice thing to do, there are a lot more bikers out riding.

Getting into fixed

Fixie is so-o last year. Here’s proof: a Fixed Gear 101 article. (Actually, that probably should be so-o 2002, which is when this article is dated.)

One day I’ll do it. Maybe.

While we’re on the subject, have a go at Rabbit, a singlespeed and fixed-gear cycling calculator.

Safety vid

Safe cycling in the city:

Riding a bike in the big city can sometimes be a little dangerous. Yvonne Bambrick of the Toronto Cyclists Union offers some tips to help reduce the risk.

[via, though not endorsed by, chainguard]

The protection of the law where appropriate

SMIDSY is never acceptable—but cyclists will “be afforded the protection of the law where appropriate”. What the…? If “where appropriate” doesn’t mean “always and unconditionally” then there’s a real problem there. [twitterer]

Boffin berates Brumby

Victoria well behind OECD best practice in public transport.

So let’s make roads wider

In the UK, new research shows road congestion will grow:

“No matter how wide we make our motorways, they’ll keep filling up, so we have to start giving people alternatives to driving if we don’t want the country to grind to a halt.”

Hmm. [twitterer]

Bashing the UCI

If the UCI ran the world… I don’t know much about the sport of cycling but the UCI does seem like a particularly easy target…

Blah blah blah

For your amusement: RAAM is not an athletic challenge. Discuss. [twitterer]

Just ride

To my ill-informed eye, there seems to be some pretty good advice in the Girls Guide to Better Mountain Bike Riding [twitterer]

“Nuthing but pix”

Just what it says on the box: Chicks and Bikes is a blog of photos of women and bikes—some sexy, some clever, some funny, some downright silly.

Mythbustin’

Given my recent post about a pointlessly dangerous incident on the road, Bike Lemming’s post Exposing the myth of the outlaw cyclist seemed timely.

Understanding Europeans (1)

In Sports Illustrated:

For Americans, doping is entwined with questions of character, with goodness and evil. For Europeans, doping is simply something that cyclists are known to do. C’est le métier, the French say: It’s the job. … [It's] the same divergence that occurs when a politician is caught out with a mistress: Americans get outraged — How could he? While Europeans shrug — But of course.

– Daniel Coyle, in Lance Armstrong’s War

Understanding Europeans (2)

An observation on Nothing for UnGood:

When it comes to bicycles, Germans have a fundamentally different attitude than Americans. Germans use their bicycles to go places, whereas Americans go places to use their bicycles.

The former is probably true of much of Europe, while the latter true of most predominantly English-seaking countries. [twitterer]

Every bike can fold

The S and S Machine Bicycle Torque Coupling “is a precision lug that is installed in a bicycle frame when it’s manufactured to allow it to separate and pack for easy transportation.”

Always room for one more

Confessions of a serial bicycle buyer:

Is it an indulgence to own more than one bicycle? Maybe – but at least it’s cheaper than yachting or cocaine

The inevitable legal consequences

Remember Punchin’ Patrick Pogan? Sure you do, he’s the cop who decked a New York Critical Masser, then arrested him for “using his bike as a weapon”, among other fanciful notions.

Yeah, you remember now. Well, it looks like the NYPD might wish they’d never met Patrick Pogan as the body checked cyclist is suing the force—not a huge amount of damages being pursued but not pocket change either. [twitterer]

DIY

• How I built a carbon bike frame at home (and a bamboo frame too)

• Bike Trailer — tough and light (Geez, even I could do that, I reckon…) [twitterer]

How it’s made

This ain’t DIY, it’s how bikes are made. [twitterer]

Bike blogs

• Let’s go ride a bike—can’t argue with that sentiment.

• Le Pista Resistance “promoting an underground cycling culture in Sydney”.

• The previous also put me onto the Association of Caffeinated Wheelmen.

• 6 Years in a Rain Cape.

What Andreas has been reading

What I’ve been reading.

Does this mean I can stop now?

Pitfalls, the avoiding thereof (1)

Cyclists slow down to avoid crater-sized ‘hole’…and swerve into the canal. [twitterer]

Pitfalls, the avoiding thereof (2)

Tips and advice on buying used bikes—Peugeot=no go.

Vulnerable

According to the World Health Organization:

The first global assessment of road safety finds that almost half of the estimated 1.27 million people who die in road traffic crashes every year are pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists. While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met.

There’s an impressive big report to explain it all: Global status report on road safety

Incentives?

Dave Hill has tried cyclng in London and finds lacking the incentives to cycle:

Even my instructor, undoubtedly a prudent and peaceable road-user, said that at times you have to “be a warrior” out there. I can’t see that changing much, even if, as some in the cycling community say, motorists in London are becoming more mindful of cyclists’ needs. Most of us, I think, don’t want travelling round our city to involve the risks and adrenalin of battle.

Keep your chin up

Too fatigued to hold up his head, Paul Danhaus’s support crew did an extreme bike modification on the Race Across America—never seen an on-bike chin-rest before! [twitterer]

Semaine Fédérale en Australie

Semaine Fédérale is coming to Australia in January. And where else would you choose to ride in January but Bright?

“Well I can’t do it when I’m dead, can I?”

Good attitude: 85yo eyes off Australian cycling record.

Gotta love folding bikes

• From “No go” to “Well, OK then”.

• Popular Mechanics has just reviewed three folders. [twitter]

Bare head = sackable offence

Royal Mail fires helmetless posties:

A Royal Mail decision to sack three postmen in a week for not wearing helmets has been condemned as ‘draconian’.

He’ll be riding alone now

Having vetoed his state’s safe passing bill, methinks Texas Governor Rick Perry might have trouble finding people willing to go riding with him.

Barking about parking

Parking: How to get your own way [twitterer]

Compare and contrast: Cycle parking ‘needs more funds’

MTB looks like fun

I’m keen to do some MTB, but not until I get a helmet cam—wouldn’t want to miss the highlights.

DIY

• Re-cover an old bike seat

• VeloAce: turn your Palm into a bike computer

Bike lanes

• New Oxford cycle lane really does give you the hump! What were they thinking? [twitterer]

• These might make drivers take bike lanes seriously—and they might also cause some serious bike crashes. [twitterer]

Design

The Kenzo is a belt-drive concept bike that will keep your dacks clean.

Pumgo is “the world’s first pedal-powered scooter”:

After sitting all day in the office or at school, step out on the Pumgo Scooter to stretch and strengthen back and core muscles. Instead of leaning forward as on a bicycle, stand up straight and relieve the pressure on your back while achieving an efficient workout. Relive your youth and have fun outdoors. A cool gadget for the whole family!

Not really my cup o’ thingy but the Pumgo Skateboard—whoa! That’s just bonkers!

TopUp Head Protection “for cyclists and walkers is an exploration of the honeycomb pattern and device a protective gear for the head”. Ah, yeah. That’s a folding bike helmet to you and me. [Sydney Bodyart Ride]

A bit dense

Is bicycling bad for your bones? In a word: no.

most recreational cyclists probably don’t need to worry too much about their bones. “The studies to date have looked primarily at racers,” Smathers says. “That’s a very specialized demographic. These guys train for hours at a very high intensity. They sweat a lot. They never go for runs. They don’t usually do much weight-lifting,” to avoid adding bulk. “They’re strange.”

Who hasn’t done this?

Yehuda Moon amused at his own thoughts.

Cycling is the new gardening

Why gardening is more dangerous than cycling.

(Such a good title for an article—I wish I’d thought of it!)

No cars in Sydney CBD?

Clover Moore moves to ban cars from heart of Sydney CBD.

[Photo: Bike in the barn by chad davis on Flickr]

[via EcoVelo and Do The Right Thing]

And on a related topic, Hey Lady, Need help with that case of beer?

Penny Farthing

The National Penny Farthing Championships is on again this weekend at Evandale in Tasmania. Check out the photos from previous events—those guys are nuts (but in a good way).

Quality reading

The Ride of Your Life:

The Ride of Your Life is a departure from cycling training books on the market today. Rather than focusing on physical fitness, I focus on the mental preparation that will ultimately make or break a your commitment to a training program, or to completing a challenging event. It is based on a structured, eight-step program that will compliment any cycling regimen, and increase the likelihood you will stick with it.

Looks good.

Conceptual bike design

When a bike is described as an “avant-garde concept” warning bells must start ringing.

As for the SPURT trailer, it’s a very, very clever design. But I’m not entirely clear what design problem it solves without introducing others. Most notably, it looks unstable and vulnerable compared to a normal two-wheel trailer—in fact, this may not be the case but that’s how it looks. And how do you keep it (and the bike) stable while you load a squirming infant into it?

Sloow doown

“Slow Down London is a new project to inspire Londoners to improve their lives by slowing down to do things well, rather than as fast as possible.”

Perspective, the getting of

Interesting post at The MinusCar Project:

As I left [holding a coffee] she begged me to tell her I don’t ride whilst drinking. I failed to ask her if she drinks her’s while she operates a 4,000lb machine at speeds two to three times my own.

(Dang! I also always think of the witty riposte half an hour too late.)

twitterer]

Bike for commuting?

In answer to the question, “What sort of bike should people have for riding to work?”, I’m inclined to suggest the following steps:

• Go to your shed.

• Take out whatever bike you find that’s roughly the right size.

• Ride it.

• Repeat.

That said, when it comes time to think about a bike specifically for commuting, you could do worse than refer to the checklist presented at Do The Right Thing.

Now they tell me

Hmm, here’s something that might have been good to know when I sprained my ankle:

A study of 600 patients found that a 10-day below-knee [plaster] cast is more effective than standard [RICE] treatment with a tubular bandage.

But then, how would I have kept cycling with my foot in plaster? I suppose I would have found a way…

[twitterer]

For me favourite moments include caravan conkers (in fact, just about anything involving caravans), and the episode from several seasons ago in which racing driver Sabine Schmitz hurtles around the Nürburgring in a transit van during one of the public sessions on the 20km-long track.

It’s hilarious to watch Richard Hammond just about wetting himself in the passenger seat as Sabine shouts at other drivers (and motorbike riders!) to get out of her way. I think it’s Hammond who ponders what it must feel like to be the bloke in a fancy Porsche being overtaken by a girl in a van… (They really should have kept Sabine on as a regular presenter—she’s quite funny and personable on screen.)

Move over

But I think I’m going to have to chalk-up a new favourite segment: Race Across London. Four modes of transport, west to east across London. [YouTube keeps removing the videos for copyright reasons, but they keep turning up. Just search for them.] The car loses of course:

1. Bike
2. Boat on the Thames
3. Public transport
4. Car

Clarkson:

How the hell did you do that?

Hammond:

It’s easier on a push bike—you don’t get stuck in queues…

Clarkson:

You’ve ruined Top Gear.

Surely they must have known that would be the result.

Oh yeah: The Stig. What can you say? He really is an under-appreciated talent.

[via London Cycling Diary and Adrian Fitch]